O.P.A. Investigating Officers Involved In Nightclub Fight

The Seattle Police Department has opened an internal investigation after three off-duty officers were involved in an altercation with club security at a Capitol Hill bar early Monday morning.

According to a police report on the incident, the officers—who work in the West Precinct’s bike patrol unit, according to a source—were in an alley behind the Neighbours nightclub on Broadway around 1:00 am Monday when club security approached them. A surveillance video of the incident apparently shows the officers and the bouncer exchange words before another bouncer leg-sweeps one officer, knocking him to the ground.

The video also shows several bouncers tackling the officers, shoving an officer into a wall, and dragging an officer through the alley by his head, the report says.

One of the bouncers claimed one of the officers threw an elbow at him, which the officer disputed.

Before the melee, the officers apparently flashed badges and identified themselves as police, according to the report.

When patrol officers arrived at the scene, they asked one bouncer why he fought with the men after they identified themselves as police. He told the patrol officer the three men “shouldn’t have acted like that if they were police officers.”

The bouncer also claimed that before the fight, one of the officers told him “you don’t know anything about the law, Mexican.” However, the report also notes the bouncer was unsure which officer had said it, and “seemed to change some of his story” when questioned about the incident.

The officer denied making any racial slurs.

After taking the report, police released the three off-duty officers from the scene.

The department, which released a statement about the incident, has said that anyone with information about the brawl should contact the OPA (206) 684-8797 or at opa@seattle.gov.